Oak Devil Irish Whiskey Review

Oak Devil is the core range blended expression from Dublin Liberties Distillery. This is a perfect Halloween Irish Whiskey given the history behind the name. But it can be enjoyed all month long in October given its classic Fall flavor profile. Hell, why not enjoy it all year long for that matter?

The Liberties is one of Dublin's oldest neighborhoods and earned its name from its original history outside the city center wall. Outside the primary jurisdiction, the neighborhood had the 'liberty' to form their own rules and customs and was "notorious for mayhem and riotous behaviour with danger and intrigue waiting on every cobbled corner" This was an area of great brewing and distilling tradition with Guinness among its most prominent residents. Today, Guinness still dominates along with newer opened distilleries like Teeling Distillery, Roe and Co, Pearse Lyons Distillery, and the Dublin Liberties Distillery.

The Dublin Liberties Distillery opened in 2019. The Oak Devil blend was one of their original releases back in 2015 as a sourced Irish Whiskey. The Liberties area at one time was known as Hell with an Oak Devil carved in an archway that you needed to walk under to enter. The brand expression takes its name from this lore with images and stories emblazened on the bottle.

The whiskey itself is a 46% abv blend of malt and grain sourced whiskey aged for 5 years exclusively in ex-bourbon oak casks. Official tasting notes from their website: Full of aromas of baked apples, fresh hay & warm brown sugar, it gives way to flavours of toffee apples, cider & caramel before a finish full of gentle nutmeg, cinnamon spice & lingering sweetness, imparted by years in American oak.

This is a a perfect way to enjoy October. This is an easy going blend that goes well with your weekend football viewing or tailgating. The flavor profile also goes well after a long day of apple picking or carving pumpkins. If in the mood for a non-wine finish, the Oak Devil is a nice pour of exclusive bourbon aged Irish Whiskey. It will help take the chill out of the Autumn air while providing a little more complexity with its higher abv. 

Part of their core range which also consists of 3 single malts, Copper Alley (10yrs), Murder Lane (13yrs), and Keepers Coin (16yrs), the Oak Devil is widely available across the USA. For more information you can check out their website.